Head Start's 15 years of service are reviewed and future recommendations are presented in this report requested by the President of the United States. The program's successes include: (1) providing health care services to the poor; (2) effecting long-lasting educational gains for children; (3) fostering parent involvement; (4) promoting the career development of Head Start parents; and (5) influencing other community programs. Research and demonstration activities have made it possible for Head Start to respond to changing family needs and provide services beyond the original preschool target population. Despite these successes, Head Start has been confronted with the problems of inflation, uneven program quality, limited managerial resources, low staff wages, and shifts in program administration and changing demographics. Suggestions for protecting program quality (emphasized in this report as Head Start's foremost priority) include incorporating more trained caregivers into the program, increasing program and managerial resources, and legislating Head Start's permanent status in the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF). In addition, recommendations for the controlled expansion of Head Start, the strengthening of recruitment procedures, an increased emphasis on the family-centered orientation and the maintenance of a strong evaluation component are made. (Author/JA)